I recently found out that dry cleaners can clean more than just my clothes. Why didn’t anyone tell me about this. Before, if someone had asked me “Do dry cleaners clean shoes?” I would’ve looked at them like they were insane. However, it turns out that there are some dry cleaners out there that can really make quick work of your shoes.
I’ve made it a point to try out some of the closest ones to my house so I can go there from time to time. You should do the same if you have an option.
Really, I don’t have the time to polish my shoes all the time. So it’s nice if I can just walk or drive to the nearest dry cleaners and pick up my shoes for a formal event.
Do Dry Cleaners Clean Shoes?
You’ll have to contact your local dry cleaner to see if they offer this service.
You may or may not have a lot of options to do that in your neighborhood. I found two near my home that I plan to check out, but it’s not exactly a widely known business model. Most people just get their shoes shined if they can or just do it themselves.
However, for that ultra-grade shine or sparkling finish, you may want to check out a few dry cleaning options.
Dry cleaners may also sell solutions that you can substitute or completely replace your polishes with. These can include saponified oils and fragranced oils. Not only do these give your shoes a great shine, but a great smell too. Hence, they can feel brand new even when they’re several years old.
And obviously, who doesn’t want a great polish and for your shoes to look great all the time. I have a nasty habit of wearing out shoes that I wear a little too often. So I don’t always polish them or take care of them. (you should see my scuffed up Stan Smiths…)
If I had known this service was available before, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity.
What Kind of Shoes Get Dry Cleaned
The truth is you can get all kinds of shoes dry cleaned. If you have ones that you run in or old ones that you go to formal events in, you can bring them all.
Laundry services provide surface cleaning and polishing, of course.
However, they also provide care for smaller details that we neglect about our shoes. They apply treatments to get rid of stains, not just cover them up with polish. They also provide scented oils to treat the shoes with to get rid of any unpleasant smells that may have sunk in. They also provide deep under-sole scrubbing. This allows for the soles to be properly cleaned.
Any gum or gunk or grease that has been stuck under there for a long time is cleaned up.
You can also get insole and lining cleaning done. This is so that all the little nooks and crannies that dirt and gunk can hide in are purged. This will help your shoes have a longer shelf life. You and I don’t think about these things too often, but they do make a difference. With the proper cleaning and care, your shoes will be able to last a lot longer.
This will be great not only for the shoes that you wear every day, but the ones that you cherish and love.
If you have a pair that you really care about, then take them to the dry cleaners. A once a week or a couple of times a month cleanse for them can do them a lot of good.
Best Tips on How to Clean Your Shoes
You may not have a great dry cleaner that does shoes next to your home or even in the city. So here are some shoe cleaning tips that anyone can use to keep their shoes clean, shiny, and new.
- Remove dirt from the shoes by banging the soles together. This is not only good advice for cleaning shoes, but also a good tip before putting them on. Anything from a spider to a rat can sneak in to your shoes without you knowing it. Do bang your shoe soles together before putting them on. It knocks any dirt loose and it also knocks any insects within the shoes loose. Also, make sure that you’ve completely emptied the shoes out from the inside as well.
- Remove the laces and the insoles before you proceed to cleaning the shoes. If that’s not possible, tuck them in to the inside of the shoe. This should mitigate them impeding the process. Take a wash cloth and soak it in warm water. Then take a mild liquid laundry detergent and gently wipe away the stains. For the most stubborn stains, you can rub a little harder.
- When you’re done, you should give them one or two more coats of detergent to be more thorough. This will work wonders with shoes that are either made of cloth or leather. However, remember to wipe the leather shoes clean and not let them dry in the wind or sun.
- Make sure to dip a fresh cloth in warm water and wipe away the detergent as well. Don’t leave the shoes to dry in the wind without that final step.
